{"id":4690,"date":"2026-09-02T15:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T09:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=4690"},"modified":"2026-09-02T15:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:28:45","slug":"state-legislative-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/state-legislative-council\/","title":{"rendered":"State Legislative Council in India, Articles, Eligibility, Election"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>State Legislative Council<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is also known as the Vidhan Parishad. It is the upper house in the bicameral legislature of some states in India. Similar to the Rajya Sabha at the Union level, it serves as a revising and deliberative chamber, providing an additional layer of scrutiny to legislation. Currently, six states have Legislative Councils: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not all Indian states have Legislative Councils. States with bicameral legislatures have both the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad). The Council aims to provide broader representation and enable more detailed examination of legislative matters. Under <\/span><b>Article 169 of the Constitution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a Legislative Council can be created, or a state legislative council can be abolished by Parliament if the concerned State Legislative Assembly passes a resolution to that effect by the prescribed special majority.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council in India<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the upper house of the state legislature in states having a bicameral legislature. Under <\/span><b>Article 169<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Parliament can create or abolish a Legislative Council based on a resolution passed by the concerned State Assembly. It provides representation to diverse groups and supports detailed legislative scrutiny.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council Constitutional Provisions<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The constitutional framework governing the State Legislative Council is primarily detailed in Articles 169, 171, and 172 of the Indian Constitution. These articles outline the establishment, composition, and duration of the Council.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Article 169<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: It grants Parliament the authority to create or abolish a State Legislative Council by a simple majority, contingent upon a resolution passed by the state\u2019s Legislative Assembly by a special majority. However, the resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly is not binding on Parliament.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Article 171<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: It outlines the composition of the State Legislative Council.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Article 172<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: It addresses the duration of the Council, indicating that its members serve for six years, with one-third of them retiring every two years.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council Composition<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state is composed of a maximum of one-third of the total strength of the State Assembly, with a minimum requirement of 40 members. The Legislative Council of every State shall choose two members of the Council to be respectively Chairman and Deputy Chairman. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the office of Chairman or Deputy Chairman becomes vacant, the Council shall choose another member to be Chairman or Deputy Chairman<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council Election<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All members of the Legislative Council are either indirectly elected or nominated by the Governor. The manner of the election is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One-third is elected <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards, and such other local authorities in the State.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One-third is elected by members of the Legislative Assembly from among persons who are not Assembly members.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One-twelfth elected by graduates of three years\u2019 standing residing in the State.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One-twelfth is elected by teachers <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">of secondary schools having at least three years of experience.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One-sixth nominated by the Governor for their expertise in fields like literature, science, arts, social service, or cooperative movement.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council Eligibility and Tenure<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tenure for members of the Legislative Council is established at six years, similar to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament. In the State Legislative Council, one-third of the members retire every two years, creating a staggered retirement system that fosters continuity within the Council. The following is the list of qualification criteria for a candidate to be a member of the State Legislative Council, as prescribed in Article 173:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Must be a citizen of India.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At least 30 years old.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He should possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed on that behalf by or under any law made by Parliament.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, the Representation of the People Act, 1951, provided the following qualification criteria:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A person must be an elector for any Assembly constituency in that State.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To be qualified for the Governor\u2019s nomination, he must be a resident of that State.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council and State Legislative Assembly Difference<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The constitutional position of the State Legislative Council with the State Legislative Assembly can be analysed from two perspectives: areas where the Council has equal powers with the Assembly and areas where it holds lesser authority. While both Houses play a role in the legislative process, the Assembly generally holds greater influence and control over legislative matters.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equal with Assembly<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Areas where the powers and status of the Legislative Council are broadly equal to those of the Assembly are:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Ordinary Bills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Both Houses can introduce and pass ordinary bills. However, if there is a disagreement, the will of the Assembly prevails.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Approval of Ordinances<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council shares the responsibility of approving ordinances issued by the Governor.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Selection of Ministers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: Ministers, including the Chief Minister, can be members of either House, but they are accountable solely to the Assembly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Reports of Constitutional Bodies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council has the authority to consider reports from bodies such as the State Finance Commission and State Public Service Commission.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Jurisdiction of State Public Service Commission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council participates in the enlargement of the jurisdiction of the State Public Service Commission.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unequal with Assembly<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In most of the matters, the Legislative Council has powers that are inferior to those of the Assembly. The instances where the Legislative Council enjoys inferior power are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Introduction of Money Bills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/money-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Money Bills <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">can only be introduced in the Assembly; the Council cannot amend or reject them and must return such bills within 14 days, either with or without recommendation.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Recommendations on Money Bills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Assembly can accept or reject all or any recommendations made by the Council regarding Money Bills.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Determination of Money Bills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The final decision on whether a bill qualifies as a Money Bill lies with the Speaker of the Assembly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Passing Ordinary Bills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Assembly has the final authority on ordinary bills. The Council can delay or detain a bill for a maximum of four months but is not a revising body like the Rajya Sabha.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Budget Discussion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: While the Council can discuss the budget, it cannot vote on demands for grants, which is an exclusive right of the Assembly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>No-Confidence Motion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council cannot remove the Council of Ministers through a no-confidence motion. However, the Council can discuss and criticise government policies.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Bill Rejection<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: If an ordinary bill originating from the Council is rejected by the Assembly, the bill is considered dead.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Election Participation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council does not participate in the election of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/powers-of-the-president\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">President of India<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or the election of the Rajya Sabha.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Constitutional Amendments<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council has limited influence over the ratification of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indian-constitution-amendments\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">constitutional amendment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> bills, where the Assembly's will prevails.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Existence of the Council<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The existence of the Council depends on the will of the Assembly, as it can be abolished by Parliament based on the Assembly's recommendation.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council Role<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite having fewer powers compared to the State Legislative Assembly, the State Legislative Council serves several important functions that contribute to the legislative process and governance. The key roles of the legislative council include the following:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Quality Control of Legislation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Council plays a crucial role in reviewing and revising legislation passed by the Assembly. It acts as a check against hasty, defective, or poorly considered laws by allowing for a thorough examination and debate.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Representation of Experts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: The Governor nominates one-sixth of the members of the Council from among individuals with expertise in various fields such as education, science, art, and social service. This provision allows for valuable insights and contributions from those with significant experience and knowledge, enriching the legislative discussions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Political Stability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: As a permanent chamber, the State Legislative Council contributes to political stability within the state. Unlike the State Legislative Assembly, which is dissolved every five years, the Council maintains continuity. This permanence allows for consistent oversight of legislation and governance, even during changes in the Assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Criticisms<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Councils are intended to provide expertise, wider representation and legislative review, but critics question their democratic necessity, cost and effectiveness. Key criticisms include:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Financial burden:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> An additional house increases expenditure on salaries, allowances, infrastructure and administration.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Limited legislative powers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Council has weaker powers than the Assembly, especially over money bills, where it can only make recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Political rehabilitation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Councils may be used to accommodate defeated or unelected politicians through indirect election or nomination.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Delays in legislation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Council can delay ordinary Bills, potentially slowing down the legislative process.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Absence of SC\/ST reservation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Unlike Legislative Assemblies, the Constitution does not provide reserved seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Legislative Councils, which may limit their institutional representation.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">State Legislative Council UPSC PYQs<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><b>Q1:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Explain the constitutional provisions under which Legislative Councils are established. Review the working and current status of Legislative Councils with suitable illustrations. <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2021)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider the following statements: (<\/span><b>UPSC Prelims 2015<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Legislative Council of a state in India can be larger in size than half of the Legislative Assembly of that particular state.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Governor of a State nominates the Chairman of the Legislative Council of that particular state.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which of the statements given above is\/are correct?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) 1 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) 2 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) Both 1 and 2<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) Neither 1 nor 2<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (d)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 200px\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 100%;text-align: center;height: 25px\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Other Related Posts<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/contempt-of-court\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Contempt of Court<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/governor\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Governor<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/tribunals\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Tribunals in 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style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center;height: 25px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/supreme-court-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Supreme Court of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 25px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 100%;text-align: center;height: 25px\" colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/union-budget-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Union Budget 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State Legislative Councils are the upper houses in the bicameral legislatures of certain Indian states, established under Article 169 of the Indian Constitution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,27],"tags":[40,435,632],"class_list":["post-4690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-notes","category-upsc-polity-notes","tag-quest","tag-state-legislative-council","tag-upsc-polity-notes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4690"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29142,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4690\/revisions\/29142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}